End of Delhi row as DDCA accepts players' demands

The revolt in the Delhi Ranji team seems to be over as DDCA chief Arun Jaitley on Tuesday said he had accepted players' views on team selection.

Written by Press Trust of India

Read Time: 3 mins

New Delhi:

The players' mutiny spearheaded by Virender Sehwag's against the all-powerful Sports Committee of the Delhi and District Cricket Association on Tuesday fizzled out to a tame compromise with former India captain Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi brokering peace.

DDCA President Arun Jaitley said that Sehwag and his Delhi teammate Gautam Gambhir met him in Pataudi's presence last night when the compromise was reached.

Accordingly, Sehwag was not going anywhere and would be representing Delhi, Jaitley said, without disclosing how he managed to pacify the star opener who had threatened to move to Haryana protesting nepotism in selection and the high-handedness of the Sports Committee.

"Last evening, both the senior players met me and my DDCA colleagues and we were fortunate to have Mr Pataudi among us. We discussed several issues and I can tell you that the nature of discussion was not adversarial," Jaitley told reports at the Feroze Shah Kotla.

"They had primarily two concerns -- to ensure that selection process is absolutely fair and that no interference of any kind would be tolerated. Their suggestions were well-intentioned and I told both the players and my colleagues that both the steps should be taken so that the standard of fairness of the highest level is maintained," he said.

Jaitley said he never feared the issue would snowball into a crisis and called it an opportunity to set things right.

"I did not see it developing into a crisis. It was not a conflict of interest. Their and our objectives are same. I rather saw it as an opportunity to reform," he said.

Jaitley also took a dig at some of the former players who had sided with Sehwag and criticised the DDCA.

"It was funny to see some of the causes of problems in the past becoming commentator of the problem," he remarked.

Even though DDCA officials were quoted in the media as saying that Sehwag was free to collect his No Objection Certificate and move to Haryana, Jaitley completely denied that.

"No body ever said Sehwag can go if he wanted. The moment I came to know about his view on the subject, I told him to meet me on his return to Delhi (from Bangalore where he was undergoing rehabilitation). He did just that and we resolved the issue," Jaitley said.

He said DDCA was toying with the idea of reducing the number of selectors and avoid any conflict of interests following reports of nepotism.

"It was a healthy discussion and both the players put their point across in a dignified manner," he said.

In the entire exercise, not a single Sports Committee head rolled as Jaitley sprang in support of the panel, which has been in the eye of the storm.

"The Sports Committee only recommends and it's upto the Executive Committee to take the final decision. When it comes to selection, it all depends on the selector's individual discretion," Jaitley explained, adding DDCA would find the right people for the selector's job.

In what seemed the only consolation for Sehwag, Jaitley said DDCA was ready to form a panel comprising senior players.

"In principle, we are ready to have such a body but we need to explore the idea before deciding what function it can perform and shortlist individuals who have the time and intention for the job," he said.

Finally, paying a rich tribute to Pataudi for brokering peace, Jaitley said, "I want to officially put in record our appreciation for his time. We are contemplating a Cricket Advisory Body and if he is willing and has the time, we would be happy to have him there."